Revelation Flashcards
Title - Revelation
Religious connotations
The Book of Revelations is an apocalyptic book about the struggle between good and evil.
It is also a moment of realisation
I remember
New voice
1st person suggests a personal experience. This is an ordinary/everyday incident which takes on a greater significance. Matter of fact
Black bull
Alliteration of harsh ‘b’ represents how intimidation the bull is
‘black’ and ‘eggs and milk’
Contrast in colour of the blackness of the bull (harsh-evil) and the white of the milk and eggs (female-nurturing - innocent)
emphasises the rivalry between good and evil in the poem
child
innocence
eggs and milk
symbolise female maturation, linking to both ovulation and lactation
foreshadows outcome of following event
Bob -
Mundane name, suggests friendly and non-threatening which shows how the evil can be hidden and not revealed right away which can lead people into a false sense of security
Dash introduces speaker’s views - she is sceptical of the bull and will not be fooled by his name
a monster
connotations of evil/ugliness and alludes to the girls fear - contrasts with monosyllabic name
charm
suggests charisma , friendliness or seduction, also has connotations of magic - she is drawn in
friendly name
makes bull seem welcoming/attractive
false sense of security and represents the evil within some males that is hidden by a charming exterior
threshold
suggests crossing from one domain to another - links to weddings (carried over the threshold )/transition from child to adults as she has the realisation that there is evil in the world
suggests the bull has power
his outhouse
new voice
his domain
someone held my hand
adult? suggests she needs protection from the evil within the outhouse as she is still an innocent child
peer
suggests she is unsure but intrigued
black (line8)
connotations of evil and darkness. The bull is indistinct, creates a sense of mystery and tension as the bull is revealed
(evil cannot always be seen straight away)
The girl’s awareness of toxic masculinity is being broadened as the bull is revealed
ENJAMBMENT highlights that she initially noticed the colour which emphasises the bull’s representation of evil masculinity
hot reek
imagery
synesthesia - mixing two senses, suggests the smell is overpowering and unpleasant so the girl must rely on her other senses (smell) until her eyes adjust to the darkness
Evil is very overpowering and she is overwhelmed by her realisation of evil
‘reek’ has connotations of a strong smell which hints at her discomfort
his edges merging with the darkness
The bull is one with evil. Creates a sinister and mysterious image
immense
oversized in a small space-suggests his power and size and how toxic masculinity is overwhelming
roar and clanking
onomatopoeia - emphasises how threatening and frightening this is for the girl. She is still innocent and the realisation of evil is overwhelming for her
Overwhelming her senses. Intense
The chain’s jerk
Lochhead suggests that masculine energy is something that is wild, violent and chaotic - something that should be controlled to protect others
oblivious hens
‘oblivious’ has connotations of being unaware/vulnerable/innocent
‘hens’ suggests women and femininity
This shows that women are oblivious to the the evil masculinity in the world
She contrasts the hands with herself. She envies that the hens are unaware of the dangers of the world compared who herself who has learnt about it.
Start of her revelation that there are more dangerous things in the world
nostrils gaped like wounds
simile suggests that the bull is violent, threatening and could cause damage to the bull
Just as wounds are caused by violence and and fresh wounds are open and bloody, so too is are the nostrils flaring n in anger and shows the bull is violent which suggests toxic masculinity is evil and dangerous
Faint and tinkling
‘tinkling’ - gentle onomatopoeia suggests a sweet and unthreatening atmosphere where the bull isn’t. The two words contrast with the harshness of clanking in the previous stanza
The bull’s power is diminished outside the outhouse and they are unaware of the monster. It is safer away from toxic masculinity and evil.
hasp
small, weak lock shows there is little to prevent bull escaping which suggests that toxic masculinity is overwhelming and it is difficult to stop it from hurting people
Black Mass
Metaphor/pun-blacj mass could refer to the bulk/shape/colour of the bull or to the act of the devil worship
suggests evil
Capital letters highlight the immense size of the bull and its power
straining
connotes violence, struggle, something trying to escape
I had alsways half-known he existed
new voice
reminds us that this is a memory. It is not a surprise-she knew of evil
He=evil
Antidote
Anti-christ
anarchy
Antidote-usually a cure , here it means opposing value or belief
Anti-christ-the opposite of christ, man of love and forgiveness (evil)
anarchy-absence of accepted rules
rule of three
Repetition of anti-emphasises that the bull is the opposite of good and love
Alliteration of ‘an’ - harsh sound suggests how threatening the bull is now that she can fully see him. Suggests her revelation
threatening the eggs, well rounded, self-contained -
an d the placidity of milk
symbolism of the eggs - used to represent women -mild-mannered, thoughtful.
Eggs can also symbolise order and calm-contrast disorder of bull
Personification of milk, ‘placidity’ suggests calm, not easily angered which contrasts with the bull.
Eggs and milk link to nurture and motherly-love which exist within the girl’s safe world and she believes the bull’s evil threatens this.
I ran
sentence structure
short first phrase emphasises how quickly she fled suggesting her fear
The girl’s response is to run from the evil presence of the bull
my pigtails thumping
pigtails-connotes youthfulness and naivety
Personified pigtails shows the extent of her terror
big boys
men are presented as something to fear , something dangerous
alliteration of harsh ‘b’ reinforces the idea of violence and danger m
Links the boys with ‘black bull’, ‘bob’ and ‘big bulk ‘. They are all linked by violence. The boys are a representation of the evil that the bull symbolises
pulled wings from butterflied and blew up frogs with straws
Violence against nature. If we think of nature as a women-mother nature. This could represent the threat posed to women by men.
She is now aware of evil in the world. Alert to all the danger around her
‘thorned’ and ‘harried’
thorned-unwelcoming, dangerous
harried-harassed. She needs to protect her chicks
nest links with eggs
landscape is now presented as threatening as the girl is now aware of the dangers within the world. Shows the impact of her revelation.
shattering -
onomatopoeia- harsh word showing the detrimental effects of the evil within the world
dash introduces a pause. The extra information after the dash highlights the powerlessness and fear of the speaker who does not have have the strength to protect herself, symbolised by the milk.
small and shaking
both suggest frailty and fear
sibilance of the soft ‘s’ sound suggests and emphasises how weak and powerless the speaker feels in relation to the dangers of the world
He roared his rage
alliteration
Lochhead suggests that masculine energy is something wild and chaotic-something that must be contained
